Coty wants to lead the beauty industry into a cruelty-free future

This week the multinational personal care, cosmetics, and fragrance maker announced a new partnership with the advocacy group behind the Leaping Bunny logo. Along with the announcement came news that the Cover Girl makeup brand has been certified by Cruelty Free International and that other Coty brands will follow suit.

Animal testing is unpopular with today’s conscious beauty consumers. By stepping forward as a leader in the cruelty free movement, Coty hopes to not only set an example for other beauty makers but also to connect with consumers who are passionate about social, ethical, and environmental causes.

“Consumers expect brands to be leaders for positive change,”​ Ukonwa Ojo, chief marketing officer for Coty Consumer Beauty, says in a media release about the company’s new partnership with Cruelty Free International.

“So…Cover Girl is taking a stand about making cruelty free cosmetics a mainstream reality,” ​she continues. “We know we are not alone in wanting a beauty industry that is free from animal cruelty and, working with Cruelty Free International, invite others to join us in turning these conversations into action.”​

Industry leadership ​

Advocacy groups work at incremental pace. And securing large, high-profile policy changes, partnerships, and press coverage are exceptional moments that enable groups like Cruelty Free International to significantly scale their project.

“Cover Girl’s certification demonstrates to the world that it is possible to be an accessible and innovative brand without inflicting suffering on animals,” ​Michelle Thew, CEO of Cruelty Free International, tells the press. “We hope [this] announcement encourages more cosmetics companies to do the right thing, listen to public demand and make a commitment to ending animal suffering in the cosmetics industry.”​

Including the Leaping Bunny logo on all Cover Girl products will bolster CFI’s position in the beauty industry and in consumer’s minds. And Coty is running a national TV campaign about the certification as well as taking a full-page ad in the New York Times, “​[challenging] others to take the same course.”​

The Coty – CFI partnership includes provisions that Coty will work to certify another brand as cruelty free by 2020. The company also pledges to “share knowledge to promote traceability and transparency across the industry”​ and to “advocate for regulatory change, including in China, to find alternatives to current animal testing mandates”​ according to materials shared with Cosmetics Design.

Supply chain certification ​

The CFI certification goes beyond confirming that no animal testing is done on finished products, it also certifies that a brand’s suppliers are not testing the ingredients in question on animals as well.

According to press materials about the organization, Leaping Bunny certification “is the only internationally recognized certification that requires a supplier monitoring system to be implemented by the brand, supply chain checking for animal testing right down to ingredient manufacturer level, adherence to a fixed cut-off date policy and acceptance of ongoing independent audits to ensure compliance.”​

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Deanna Utroske, CosmeticsDesign.com Editor, covers beauty business news in the Americas region and publishes the weekly Indie Beauty Profile column, showcasing the inspiring work of entrepreneurs and innovative brands.